Weary Ramblers

9/4/2024

Two diverse musicians discovered each other’s talents during the pandemic. As they collaborated on a project, both realized they shared the same songwriting passion — along with singing and performing with their musical instruments. 

The duo, Weary Ramblers, consists of Kathryn Severing Fox and Chad Elliott. Each musician offers unique strengths, and they recently recorded a new album together.

Chad Elliott, who is also an artist, is a singer-songwriter, playing acoustic guitar in the folk, Americana and blues music scene. He grew up in Iowa, lived in Austin, Texas, and California, then returned to Iowa about 20 years ago. 

He has performed at dozens of venues in the Midwest, writes original music and has recorded several albums. During the pandemic, he recorded livestream painting videos put to music.

Kathryn played viola and then switched to the violin. She’s a DownBeat winner (a prestigious jazz education award), a Henry Mancini Institute Fellow, and has played with Celtic, Jam Grass and other bands and pursued many solo endeavors throughout her career. She teaches lessons, is a piano player and also tunes pianos.

When she heard Chad’s songwriting, she began following him on social media. 

“I fell in love with his music,” she recalls. “He asked if I wanted to record my piano playing for a video.”

After the two worked together, Kathryn suggested the pair do a show. When they met, she was impressed Chad had studied her songs. 

“I was obsessed with his music,” she says. 

“Our interests fit well,” Chad says. “I realized she was not just an accompanist. We started writing songs together.” 

Weary Ramblers formed in 2022. They write and sing original songs, harmonizing together. Chad plays acoustic guitar and harmonica, while Kathryn plays the fiddle, viola and mandolin. Recently, a friend of Kathryn’s in Nashville built her a new electric instrument — a five-string combination of a violin and a viola, calling it “Violent,” but it is also known as “Lucy.”

They recently recorded their first self-titled album, “Weary Ramblers,” which debuted in August. Two days after the album’s release on Spotify, the single, “Hidden Road,” was selected for the New Grass Playlist. New Grass consists of the top bluegrass musicians, such as Billy Strings. 

“It’s really pretty difficult to get on those playlists,” Kathryn explains. “It’s an exciting thing for us. We don’t really make money off live streaming, yet it’s a community builder.”

The album was recorded at Golden Bear studios with talented string instrumentalists and Des Moines area musicians. 

“We’re proud of the record. It’s amazing what Bryan Vanderpool (producer) does at Golden Bear,” Chad says. 

They are performing at the Americana fest in Nashville in September. With more than 200 musicians, the top Americana musicians play in various venues during the five-day festival.

Additionally, Weary Ramblers performs at various central Iowa venues. They were fortunate to get on stage to play with one of their idols, Mary Gauthier, when Jaimee Harris asked them to sing with her. 

“It was a big deal. I’ve always idolized her,” Kathryn says.

Another time, the duo played a festival and sang with another idol, Storyhill, a modern folk duo. 

“We sat around the campfire harmonizing with Storyhill — musicians I grew up listening to,” Chad recalls. “It was a magical moment. I did a panting of it.”

As they travel from gig to gig, inspiration for songwriting often goes back and forth in their vehicle. 

“Some songs we’ve written while doing a sound check. All of our writing is inspired by nature and love. We are both into these categories,” Kathryn says.

The type of music they play is often hard to define. 

“In a broad sense, we are Americana and folk,” Kathryn says.

Chad adds, “It has a good blend of so many genres, a diverse enough style of music from bluegrass, to country to folk and jazz. It’s a lot to take in. Often, we just say we play good music.”

Attend an upcoming Weary Ramblers gig: Sept. 10, Iowa Arboretum and Gardens; Sept. 14, Covered Bridges Winery; and Sept. 20, Middlebrook Farm in Cumming. Visit www.wearyramblers.com for more information. ♦